&#39;ELLIS&#34; pecan

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of pecan tree,  Carya illinoinensis,  which is characterized by consistent production, high percentage kernel, large nut size, and scab fungus resistance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is a new and distinct variety of pecan tree.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Carya illinoinensis

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

Pecan ‘ELLIS’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of thenut-bearing tree Carya illinoinensis, known as common pecan andhereafter referred to by the varietal denomination ‘ELLIS’. It can beused in gardens or for commercial production of pecan nuts.

The tree was discovered by the inventor in a yard in Dooly County, Ga.He noted the consistent production, high nut quality, and resistance toscab disease and other pests.

Graft wood of the original ‘ELLIS’ tree has been propagated by theinventor onto approximately 1200 trees in test orchards in Dooly County,Georgia. All horticultural traits observed including leaf shape, color,and morphology, bud form, bark color and texture observed are identicalto the parent tree, as is normal and expected when pecan trees arepropagated by grafting.

Parentage of the tree is unknown. The parent tree grew as a seedlingfrom a nut in the yard in which it was discovered. The parent tree wasdestroyed by a lightning strike in 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘ELLIS’ have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as light intensity, temperature andcultural conditions, without any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been consistently observed and, tothe best knowledge of the inventor, their combination form uniquecharacteristics of ‘ELLIS’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

Harvest date is not exceptionally early but is well within the range ofthe desired pecan harvest for the early gift pack market. In 2011, shucksplit began around October 5 and 50% shuck split occurred on October 12.Nuts were harvested on October 24. This places ‘ELLIS’in the sameharvest window with such cultivars as ‘Desirable’, ‘Elliot’, and‘Oconee’, but before that of ‘Sumner’. With marginal care (2 sprays) in2011, a year of low scab incidence, a one-pound sample of nuts of‘ELLIS’ from 15 yr old grafted trees had 47.5 nuts per pound and 59.3%kernel. The sample was collected and graded by Dr. Lenny Wells,University of Georgia Horticulturist. Productivity appears good andcomparable to ‘Cape Fear’ based on observations of the cultivars undersimilar growing conditions at the orchard where ‘ELLIS’ was evaluated.

Bark is scaly.

Resistance to scab is very good.

Asexual reproduction by the inventor using traditional graftingtechniques have shown that the unique characteristics of this new pecanare stable and reproduced true-to-type in successive generations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1. ‘ELLIS’ pecan tree, photographed Oct. 16, 2011.

FIG. 2. Kernels (left and right) and inshell nuts (center) of ‘ELLIS’pecan. Photographed in 2011.

FIG. 3. Bark and trunk of ‘ELLIS’ pecan tree.

FIG. 4. ‘ELLIS’ pecan fruit on tree. Note lack of pecan scab incidenceon unsprayed tree/Photographed Aug. 19, 2011.

FIG. 5. Cluster of female flowers (top) of ‘ELLIS’ pecan, and catkinsbearing male flowers (bottom). Photographed Apr. 22, 2011 (catkins) andApr. 29, 2011 (female flowers).

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

Unless stated otherwise, the botanical description of ‘ELLIS’ ismeasured data in April, August, and October 2011 on grafted trees 15years after grafting. Observational data was in 2010-2011. The treeswere grown in Dooly County, Georgia (USDA Zone 7b) under commercialproduction, except spraying was minimal. The range of day-time growingtemperatures was 65-100 degrees F. The range of night-time growingtemperature was 50-75 degrees F.

The plant is upright in growth habit, similar to ‘Pawnee’, with amodified central leader tree form.

Lenticels are present on bark of twigs. Lenticels are irregularoval-shaped, 1-2 mm in length, and are gray in color. Lenticels are notobservable on large branches and on trunk, which is covered with bark.

The stems are green in the tender stage, then brown in the woody stage.

The peduncle is oval, green in tender stage and greenish-tan in maturestage.

The mature leaf is odd pinnate compound, deciduous, with dark greenshade on upper surface, and light green on lower surface. The averagelength of a mature compound leaf is 31.5 cm., while the average width ofa mature compound leaf is 18.7 cm. The average length of an individualleaflet is 10.3 cm., and the average width is 2.8 cm. The leaflet apexis acuminate and narrow. The leaflet base is oblique. The leaflet marginis serrate and the shape is elliptic and falcate, with absent lobes. Theleaf arrangement on a stem is alternate, with leaflet venation pinnate.The average number of leaflets on a leaf is 11.

The ‘ELLIS’ pecan is monoecious, anemophilous and protogynous.Pistillate flowers are borne on a determinate spike, with staminateflowers borne on a determinate pendulous catkin. There are commonlythree to six individual pistillate flowers per spike, borne alternatelyon terminally-positioned spikes. The pistillate flower is symmetricalwith no stamens and petals. The pedicels are sessile. The staminateflower or catkin is green with gold pollen. The average length of thecatkin is 14.3 cm, average width 0.8 cm. The flower has one pistil, withan oxblood color stigma. The flower has four bracts, which are green,linear lanceolate.

The mature fruit is dehiscent. The average weight per nut in 2011, ayear of small nut size in Georgia, was 9.7 g. The average nut length was4.31 cm, while the average width was 2.35 cm. The nut length to width(width midway the length of the nut and across suture) is 2.48 cm. Thenut shape is oblong to slightly obovate. The nut base shape is obtuseasymmetric to cuspidate and the nut apex is cuspidate to cuspidateasymmetric. Shuck split was 50% on Oct. 12, 2011. Shells are thin,approximately 0.85 mm. Shell markings are dark, bold and distinct nearthe tip, but are much less pronounced near the base of the nut.

The following are color descriptions of ‘ELLIS,’ referencing The RoyalHorticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart.

-   Trunk: (Mature tree) RHS 198D-   Winter buds: RHS 164B-   Shoot: (Tender stage) RHS 142A-   Shoot: (Woody stage) RHS 196A-   Lenticels: RHS 160D-   Peduncle: (Tender stage) RHS 164C-   Foliage: (Upper surface) RHS 141A-   Foliage: (Lower surface) RHS 144C-   Catkins: RHS 151D-   Stigma: RHS 177A-   Involucre: RHS 150C-   Bracts: RHS 150C-   Shell: RHS 165B-   Seed coat: RHS 164C

1. A new and distinct variety of pecan tree named ‘ELLIS’, substantiallyas herein described and illustrated.